FAQs About Volunteering at SourcePoint

No

Youth over the age of 14 may volunteer onsite under the supervision of a staff member or adult volunteer. Youth under 14 must serve with an adult family member or friend. Volunteers who drive, serve independently at a senior’s home, or serve in our kitchen must be at least 18. For more information, refer to our volunteer handbook. Volunteer-Handbook-01.2023R.pdf (mysourcepoint.org)

Volunteers can choose to work directly with homebound seniors, with a more active senior population in our enrichment center, or behind the scenes supporting either effort.

There are options for both. For example, kitchen and café volunteers serve as a team, Meals on Wheels and Medical Transportation volunteers serve individually or with a partner

There are sit-down assignments such as gift shop, aquatics monitor, administrative, Meals on Wheels assisting, and Scrappy Crafters. Positions are not always available, but they are always worth checking.

Yes. After orientation, new volunteers are connected with their volunteer supervisor for training and scheduling. The length and means of training vary by assignment.

You have options. Fill out an application either online Volunteer Application Form – SourcePoint (volgistics.com) or come in for a paper application. Call the volunteer recruiter at 740-203-2368 if you prefer to chat first or to ask when the next in-person orientation will be held.

After filling out an application, prospective volunteers must either attend an in-person orientation or watch the online version Volunteer Training – SourcePoint (mysourcepoint.org) and meet with the volunteer recruiter one-on-one. Most volunteer assignments require fingerprinting which is free and done at orientation. The online orientation lasts 28 minutes and the in-person class is about an hour long.

No. Your volunteer supervisor will plan for another volunteer or staff member to cover your duties when you are unable to fulfill them.

Simply inform your volunteer supervisor of your pending absence. Options for this communication are email, phone call, or, in some cases, an online call-off form. When possible, advance notice is appreciated, though we recognize that is not always possible.

Volunteers use their own vehicles. Please refer to our FAQs for Volunteer Drivers for in-depth questions and responses about driving while volunteering. FAQ-for-Volunteer-Drivers.pdf (mysourcepoint.org)

Volunteer drivers have three options: to be fully reimbursed for mileage at the rate set by the IRS, to be reimbursed 50% and donate 50%, or to fully donate their mileage. Meals on Wheels and Ensure Delivery volunteers are reimbursed from the pickup location (typically SourcePoint) and back. Medical Transportation volunteers are reimbursed from their homes and back.

Children may accompany adult volunteers on Meals on Wheels and Ensure Deliveries routes and most Home Helper assignments but are not allowed on Medical Transportation assignments. Most onsite volunteer assignments are not conducive to bringing children along.

While a friend/spouse can sign a confidentiality waiver and ride along on an occasional meal route, typically, we want our volunteers to have gone through orientation and training before being in contact with our senior clients. Most onsite volunteer roles can only use a specific number of people in the space and cannot accommodate extra bodies.

A really cool t-shirt, new friends, good feelings about how you spend your time. Nutrition volunteers receive a free meal the day they serve, and wellness volunteers receive free use of the fitness center the day they serve.

No, however, it is typical for most volunteers to serve a weekly shift or route. Certain assignments that have high training requirements (Medical Transportation and OSHIIP for example) will request a minimum commitment of service time such as twice a month.